Image capturing apparatus and method of controlling the same

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor, a shutter, a composition unit configured to perform continuous shooting of a plurality of exposure images by the image sensor and compose the plurality of images, a driving unit configured to drive the shutter and the image sensor to capture a first black image before the continuous shooting while the image sensor is shielded from light and to capture a second black image after the continuous shooting while the image sensor is shielded from light, and an image processing unit configured to perform first noise reduction processing using the first black image and second noise reduction processing using the second black image for each of a plurality of images obtained by the continuous shooting or an image obtained by composing the plurality of images.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
 an image sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally; 
 a shutter that shields said image sensor from light; 
 a controller that controls to perform continuous shooting of a plurality of exposure images by said image sensor and compose the plurality of exposure images obtained by the continuous shooting; 
 the controller that controls to acquire a first black image before the continuous shooting by causing said image sensor to accumulate electric charges while said image sensor is shielded from light by said shutter and to acquire a second black image after the continuous shooting by causing said image sensor to accumulate electric charges while said image sensor is shielded from light by said shutter; and 
 an image processing circuit that performs first noise reduction processing using the first black image for each of a plurality of exposure images obtained by the continuous shooting and performs second noise reduction processing using the second black image for an exposure image obtained by composing the plurality of exposure images by said controller. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit performs black subtraction processing of subtracting a black image from an image as the first noise reduction processing. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit performs, as the second noise reduction processing, dark shading correction of calculating a dark shading amount from the second black image and subtracting the calculated dark shading amount from an image obtained by composing the plurality of images. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said image processing circuit calculates the dark shading amount from the first black image and the second black image. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit does not capture the second black image and does not perform the second noise reduction processing if a difference between a temperature of said image sensor at the start of the continuous shooting and a temperature of said image sensor at the end of the continuous shooting is not more than a predetermined value. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit does not capture the second black image and does not perform the second noise reduction processing if a temperature of said image sensor at the end of the continuous shooting is not more than a predetermined value. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit does not capture the second black image and does not perform the second noise reduction processing if the number of images obtained by the continuous shooting is not more than a predetermined value. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit does not capture the second black image and does not perform the second noise reduction processing if a time interval between a start time of the continuous shooting and an end time of the continuous shooting is not more than a predetermined value. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit switches whether to capture the second black image and perform the second noise reduction processing, in accordance with an exposure time or sensitivity of said image sensor when performing the continuous shooting or a temperature of said image sensor at a start time of the continuous shooting. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit switches whether to capture both the first black image and the second black image and perform both the first noise reduction processing and the second noise reduction processing, in accordance with an exposure time or sensitivity of said image sensor when performing the continuous shooting or a temperature of said image sensor at a start time of the continuous shooting. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing circuit detects a flaw with a value not less than a predetermined value from the second black image, and performs flaw correction processing for an image obtained by composing the plurality of images based on detection data of the flaw. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said controller controls to perform composition processing for the plurality of images by peak hold processing. 
     
     
       13. A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus including an image sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally and a light-shielding unit configured to shield the image sensor from light, the method comprising:
 performing continuous shooting of a plurality of exposure images by the image sensor and composing the plurality of exposure images obtained by the continuous shooting; 
 performing control to acquire a first black image before the continuous shooting by causing the image sensor to accumulate electric charges while the image sensor is shielded from light by the light-shielding unit and to acquire a second black image after the continuous shooting by causing the image sensor to accumulate electric charges while the image sensor is shielded from light by the light-shielding unit; and 
 performing first noise reduction processing using the first black image for each of a plurality of exposure images obtained by the continuous shooting and performing second noise reduction processing using the second black image for an exposure image obtained by composing the plurality of exposure images in the composition step.